Miami Wide Receiver Phillip Dorsett Meets With Baltimore Ravens

Sep 1, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Phillip Dorsett (4) runs the ball against Louisville Cardinals cornerback Andrew Johnson (15) during the second quarter of play at Papa John

Many talking heads (myself included) are of the belief that the Baltimore Ravens will look to replace deep threat wide receiver Torrey Smith with another deep threat, instead of a true number one guy. Phillip Dorsett fits that mold perfectly, and the speedy Miami receiver has thus been a popular target in recent mock drafts.

Adding fuel to the fire, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun is reporting that Dorsett visited with the Ravens on Wednesday. One of the fastest players in this year’s draft, Dorsett ran a blazing 4.33 second 40 at the combine (4.29 at his pro day) and averaged a stout 24.2 yard per catch for the Hurricanes last season. His per catch average since 2012 is even better, cresting 25 yards per.

Not just a one trick pony, Phillip Dorsett also exhibits elite body control, explosiveness, feet, and stop-start ability. Dorsett’s incredible ceiling and potential overshadow his raw route running and inconsistent hand placement. Projected as a first or second round pick, the Ravens might have to grab Dorsett with the 26th pick if they really want him.

Helping Dorsett’s case is the recent success of smallish wide receivers in the NFL, namely Antonio Brown and T.Y. Hilton. At 5’10” and 185 pounds, durability might be a concern at the pro level, but Dorsett stayed healthy in college outside of a partial MCL tear in 2013.

I’m still skeptical that the Ravens will actually use a first round pick on a receiver, but it isn’t outside the realm of possibility. One thing is for sure, and that is Phillip Dorsett would bring a completely new dimension to the Ravens offense. And if he can develop into a more well rounded receiver (something Torrey Smith never did), it could be a dangerous proposition for the rest of the AFC North.

Next: Five Later Round Receivers Ravens Could Target

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